She Could Remember It Clearly
by dewdrops and crowns
Summary: Her father's death is a hazy and painful memory, but she knows one good thing came out of it, and that's cheeky, confident Rory. Since then Prim and Rory have always been together, and she can remember clearly all their good times and bad. But they can't always protect each other... For Cate.


**For the flawless Cate, part of The Hob challenge on Fire is catching.**

**Prompts: up all night - one direction; "If you wanted me to rip my clothes off, you should have just asked." - Jace Wayland, TMI ; - blood red; passion; sapphires**

**Pairing: Prim/Rory**

**I do not own the Hunger Games.**

* * *

_She could remember it clearly._

She had only been seven years old but she had never forgot. And Prim knew her family and the Hawthorne's would never let her forget, it was one memory the families brought up whenever they could. It was a memory full of laughter and the promise that things can get better. And they knew laughter wasn't always easy to find.

It began when Katniss and Gale had just begun hunting together. Her mother was starting to break out of the cocoon she had created for herself. She stopped staring at the walls and muttering to herself. She finally answered Prim back when she asked her a question. And she gave Prim what she had wanted for so long. A mother. Things were looking up. And then there was Rory. Rory who was unlike any other boy she had met. He was always very cheeky with an answer back for everything, he appeared cocky most of the time, and she rarely ever saw him unsure of himself. It reassured Prim.

"So Gale," began Rory with a mischievous glint in his eye, which Prim had learned to look out for, "Is Katniss your girlfriend now?"

Gale choked on the water he was drinking, spluttering it everywhere, as Katniss proceeded to thump him heartily on the back.

Katniss answered for him whilst he recovered, seeming genuinely surprised at the suggestion "No. We're just hunting partners."

"Oh really well why did Gale-"

Gale had then hurriedly interrupted Rory, in a louder voice then his usual calm one "What about you and Prim? You're getting very friendly in your corner,"

"Ahh yes Prim is obviously my girlfriend!" Said Rory with a grin before wrapping an arm around Prim who simply raised an eyebrow at Katniss.

"Right, so are you going to get married?" Teased Gale.

"What a great idea, Prim, will you marry me?" Rory, true to his style, flung himself dramatically to the floor and gave her his grin that made prim's ears turn pink.

Knowing she couldn't refuse, Prim decided to play along, and giggling all the way managed an answer of "Why I think I will Mr Hawthorne."

The two mothers had watched the scene with much amusement, and found a scrap piece of metal, with a hole in the middle. Which Rory delicately placed on her finger making sure to exaggerate the process as much as possible.

She had kept that ring. Placed neatly in the depths of her memory box along with paintings from school, flowers she picked on the way home from school and anything interesting Katniss had bought her back from the woods.

And to her it was the most important thing in the box.

**. . .**

When Katniss had been reaped he was there, pulling her out of her depression. He made her laugh and smile when she never thought those things would happen again. When she cried he wiped away the tears -perhaps whilst pulling a face- and then he'd give her a hug and tell her all these false words to make her feel better. And yet it had worked. When Katniss was reaped for the Quarter Quell he did it all over again, and he didn't complain once.

_She could remember it clearly._

He took her on a sort of a date.

Although if anyone asked they denied it.

It was back in the days before the electricity at the fence was turned on, in the middle of the winter where survival was needed the most, and the snow had just begun to fall. He led her by the hand and they'd first stopped off at the bakery to buy the Mellark's famous white cookies. And Mr Mellark had given them an extra cookie with a secretive wink.

To Prim's surprise and reluctance he'd taken her into the woods. She hoped he wasn't taking her to hunt, when the animals fell to the ground it was all Prim could to do to stop herself from running to them and crying into their thick woolly fur. But she trusted Rory. And just as she began to worry they would never find their way back out of the maze of trees, he stopped. They had arrived at a lake covered in a thick layer of ice, cleverly hidden in a clearing. The surrounding woodland hadn't looked threatening to Prim any more, it looked beautiful, dusted in fresh frost that had yet to be disturbed. It was the picture of tranquillity. Rory had a master plan, which involved fixing strange pieces of metal to their shoes. Then he stepped boldly onto the lake and began to slide gracefully over the ice, her eyes watched him as he appeared to be almost dancing. Prim followed cautiously and slipped over with in the first ten seconds. She shouted at Rory from the floor.

"Rory, did you only took me here so I could fall over?"

"Who me?" Rory gave her a supposedly innocent look "Like I'd do anything like that,"

Prim continued grumbling as she leaned on Rory and he slowly taught her how to move without losing balance. He let her go and she found she could glide, maybe slowly but she wasn't on the floor, no Prim was gliding, floating. Picking up confidence she accelerated and laughed, it was amazing when you weren't lying on the floor. She closed her eyes and then it occurred to her.

She couldn't stop.

"Rory, I can't stop!"

Rory held his arms out to stop her or catch her, whatever it was didn't work as they both crashed to floor.

"I'm so sorry Rory," Babbled Prim, quickly rolling off of him to stop any feeling of proximity. Because Rory was a trouble maker and she was the good girl. They were so different, so she might as well get over her silly crush on him. Rory only saw her like a sister, or someone to make fun of.

"It's alright; it's not every day I end up with a beautiful girl lying on top of me."

Prim could feel herself flush, and it just wasn't from the cold. But she knew it was all a façade and Primrose Everdeen doesn't accept false compliments.

"I'm not beautiful Rory. I don't like my hair or eyes, I always feel like the odd one out when I'm playing with everyone from the Seam,"

He gave her a very Rory like grin "I've always loved your eyes, you know they look like sapphires."

She snorted in disbelief "You are such a flirt Rory Hawthorne!"

"You're beautiful!" He poked her in the stomach, as if to emphasise his point.

"I'm not beautiful! I'm Cute and sweet and adorable and urh" She said with obvious dislike, screwing up her nose. For it was true Prim was always the cute one. Only her mother called her beautiful, but that didn't really count.

"You're definitely the prettiest girl in our year, district, whole of Panem maybe." Prim laughed at that "You affect everyone you meet, and endear yourself little by little. Your beautiful Prim, never think any different."

And then he kissed her softly and purposely on the lips.

But he hadn't kissed her since then, and she didn't have the courage to mention it. Maybe she was supposed to forget it ever happened. Maybe Rory just didn't like her in that way. Maybe that moment was a mistake.

**. . .**

_She could remember it clearly._

Bombs were tearing down District 12 all Prim could hear was the deafening noise they made as the exploded, and some part of her wanted to curl up in a corner and cover her ears until it all went away. Her home was gone, she hadn't even had time to rescue Buttercup or Lady or anything from home, and Prim could feel the tear threatening to spill. Was this it? Was she going to die? But she followed her mother to the meadow clutching her hand and not letting go. they heard the distant shouts of Gale and they followed.

There were hovercrafts, but these didn't have the Capitol's emblem, no this was an emblem she saw on TV. It was D13. But that was impossible…

"We need you on this hovercraft, there are injured people inside." It was Gale "Promise you'll stay safe. Promise?" Gale kneeled down and looked in her eyes. She could see the cracks through the brave mask, just for that second. She nodded, unable to find the words to say goodbye. "Good girl." And he walked away to help who he could.

She didn't pause to think as she ran inside with her mother, she trusted Gale. And people needed _her_ help.

Inside the floor was blood red, people were moaning and crying on the floor. She knew she should have thought like a medic, but she saw him and didn't even think before she ran over

"Rory, what happened?"

She could feel tears in her eyes as she leaned over him, her long blonde hair forming a barrier between from rest of the world.

"Hey Prim, just a bit of an accident" he smiled weakly. "Did I ever tell you your eyes look like Sapphire's?"

She smiled back. "You did a while ago," she began undoing his shirt, where most of the blood was seeping out.

"Hey, if you wanted me to rip my clothes off, you should have just asked."

She rolled her eyes, as she often did around Rory. "Where's most of the pain?"

"Everywhere, but now your here it's not so bad."

"Did they give you morphling?"

He laughed "No just me being me, hey Prim could you do something for me?"

She leaned closer, and she couldn't help but notice their noses were almost touching.

"Sure," She whispered.

He steadily brought up a hand to cup her face. He drew her nearer before he placed her lips on hers. She was unsure what to do for a second before she leaned into the kiss, burying her hands in his hair. He tasted of blood and hazelnuts and something else that was just so unbelievably Rory. She pulled away her eyes wide and her lips pouted in an O.

"I didn't think you liked me like that."

His eyes flashed in surprise "I thought you didn't like me! You never brought up the kiss. But you are my wife Prim, don't forget."

She felt herself grinning, he hadn't forgotten about that day either.

"Maybe, someday."

She leaned back to kiss him again, but stopped hearing someone cough loudly from above her. "Prim people are dying, can you kiss later?"

She turned a very visible red and ducked her head away from the stare of her mother.

"Hey Mrs Everdeen!" Cheered Rory with a wave, seemingly oblivious to his previous activities.

"Hello Rory," Laughter was plain in Mrs Everdeen's eyes "I need to help these people, I suggest you do the same Prim,"

"Your so cute when you hide behind you hair!" Teased Rory as soon as Mrs Everdeen had disappeared.

"Shhh, I am Healer Prim now. Now tell me where it hurts the most,"

Rory always thought she saved him that day. He could of lost so much blood then he had. And then when the time came for it, he couldn't save her.

**_. . ._**

_He could remember it clearly._

The goodbyes, where he had kissed Prim with more passion then he had ever felt for anything before. There had been the begging, begging to be trained or picked to go with Prim. But his requests were ignored. There had been the waiting, wondering and hoping that Prim would return with her usual smile. Then there had been Gale sitting him down, man to man, and telling him Prim didn't make it back. Prim was dead. Gone.

And just like that the sunshine had gone out of his life. Everything seemed darker and duller. Even when the rebels took the Capitol he couldn't bring himself to go to the celebrations. Yet he found a grim smile on his face when Coin and Snow had died, they killed Prim, and now they were dead too. But justice didn't bring Prim back.

Rory never had his wedding day. His wedding was meant to be with Prim.


End file.
